Electric heater with plate-clamping reflector



T. w. GLYNN 3,06

ELECTRIC HEATER WITH PLATE-CLAMPING REFLECTOR Nov. 6, 1962 Filed JuneINVENTOR. W. 62

Q 7' TORI/E United States Patent 3,062,945 ELECTRIC HEATER WITHPLATE-CLAMPING REFLECTOR Theodore W. Glynn, Kingsport, Tenn., assignorto American-Saint Gohain Corporation, a corporation of Delaware FiledJune 23, 1960*, Ser. No. 38,234 9 Claims. (Cl. 21934) 7 This inventionrelates to electric heaters, and more particularly to those using glassplates on which electric heating elements are mounted.

In the usual electric heater containing a glass heater plate the plateis held in a surrounding frame by means of separate clamping elements orlugs that are detachably connected to the frame or the reflector behindthe plate. Springs or resilient pads also are used with the clamps.Since it requires tools to fasten or remove the clamps, the customarypractice is to ship such heaters with the glass plates mounted in place,but that is expensive because the freight rates are those that apply toglass and they are higher than for metal. Also, if a glass plate needsto be replaced after a heater has been put in use, it often is difficultfor the householder to make the replacement.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide an electric heater,in which no tools are required for mounting a glass heater plate in itsframe or for removing it therefrom, in which the plate is resilientlysupported, in which separate fastening members for a plate of anydesired length are unnecessary, and in which the heater plates can beinserted easily by nearly anyone.

In accordance with this invention, the heater frame has a backwall andan open front. Inside the frame there is a concave rectangular sheetmetal reflector facing the open front of the frame. Fastening meansconnect the central portion of the reflector to the back wall. Above andbelow the fastening means the reflector curves forward and has top andbottom marginal portions that are bent into shapes that will grip thetop and bottom edges of a vertical glass heater plate. The reflector issufliciently resilient to permit at least one of its marginal portionsto be sprung away from the opposite one in order to allow a heater plateto be inserted or removed from between them. Thus, the reflector itselfresiliently grips the plate and holds it in place.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a front view of the heater;and

, FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line II-II of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the frame of the heater is formed of sheetmetal and may be any size and length desired. It can be mounted in oragainst a wall or be substituted for part or all of the baseboard.Preferably, the frame is formed from a minimum of three parts; a topsection 1 and a bottom section 2 joined by a central vertical plate 3.The bottom section is made from a sheet or strip of sheet metal foldedupon itself to form a bottom wall 4, a rear wall 5, a front flange 6 andan inclined inner wall or partition 7 that serves as a brace. The spacebetween the rear wall and the partition wall can be used as a duct orraceway for electric wiring 8. The upper section 1 is formed insubstantially the same way as the bottom section. These two sections arespaced vertically, but their rear walls are connected by the flat plate3 that is welded to them. This plate and the rear walls of the upper andlower sections form the back wall of the forwardly opening heater frame.The ends of the frame may be closed by stamped end caps 9 telescopedover the ends, but removable in case it is desired to place two or moreof the frames end to end as a long, continuous baseboard heater.

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At suitable intervals along back plate 3 inside the frame, there arevertical brackets 11 that have their upper and lower ends welded to theplate. The central portion of each bracket is spaced from the backplate, but is bowed toward it to form a forwardly facing concave frontsurface. The center of the bracket is provided with a hole, in which ismounted a bolt 12 that extends forward. Ac cording to this invention,the bolts also extend through holes midway between the top and bottom ofa rectangular sheet metal reflector 13, and nuts 14 are screwed on thebolts to clamp the reflector against the concave brackets, The reflectoris concave also and it curves forward above and below the central lineof retaining bolts. It is resilient so that it will spring back into theshape shown after being flexed. The top and bottom of the reflector arespaced a short distance from the top and bottom of the frame and fromits front flanges.

A rectangular glass heater plate 16, carrying on its back in a Wellknown manner an electric resistance heating element (not shown), isdisposed between the upper and lower marginal portions of the reflectorin engagement with them. In order to hold the glass plate in place, themarginal portion of the reflector are p re-bent to extend around the topand bottom edges of the plate. That is, the edges of the reflector arebent to provide grooves or channels 17 that receive the edges of theplate. To help steady the plate in the reflector, the channels may bejoined to the rest of the reflector by substantially horizontalshoulders 18, rather than merge directly into the concave body of thereflector. It also is desirable to bend out one edge, preferably theupper edge, of the reflector to form a lip 1'9 that is inclined forwardand away from the opposite edge. The plate is electrically connected towire 8 by the usual detachable clips (not shown).

When it is desired to insert a heater plate in the reflector, the loweredge of the plate is inserted in the lower groove 17 and then the upperedge is pushed back against the sloping lip 19, which causes thereflector to bend backward or straighten and thereby spread its upperand lower edges far enough apart for the upper edge of the plate to snapinto the upper groove. The plate can be removed by pressing the fingersagainst the lip to spring the upper portion of the reflector back awayfrom the plate in order to release the plate from the upper groove. Theplate then can be lifted out of the reflector.

It will be seen that the reflector not only serves as a clamp formingthe sole support for the glass plate, but that it supports itresiliently. Consequently, all separate fastening members, springs andpads are eliminated at a considerable saving in cost, and installationand removal of the plate are greatly simplified. Due to the fact thatthe plate is supported continuously throughout its length, any lengthheater can be used, which makes this invention especially important inconnection with baseboard heaters. A further advantage is that the glassplate can be made more cheaply, because it can be cut from a ribbon ofglass that is rolled to exact width with rounded edges as shown, insteadof having to be cut from a large sheet and its edges ground to smooththem.

There is another advantage when this heater is designed as a baseboardheater, in which the glass heater plate is not materially more than sixinches high. In such a case, if the height of the opening at the frontof the frame is kept less than six inches and the plate is located atleast one half inch behind the front plane of the heater, the necessityfor a guard or metal grille in front of the plate, which otherwise wouldbe required by the Underwriters, is avoided.

Finally, the heater frame and reflector can be shipped separately fromthe glass plates, because the plates are so easy to insert by the heaterinstaller, and the metal parts will therefore go at a lower freight ratethan the glass.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained theprinciple of my invention and have illustrated and described what I nowconsider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have itunderstood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated anddescribed.

I claim:

1. In an electric heater, a frame having a back wall and an open front,a concave rectangular sheet metal reflector in the frame facing saidopen front, and means connecting the central portion of the reflector tosaid back wall, the reflector above and below said means curving forwardand having recessed top and bottom marginal portions adapted to receivethe top and bottom edges of a vertical glass heater plate, the reflectorbeing resilient to permit at least one of said marginal portions to besprung away from the other marginal portion for receiving a heater platebetween them.

2. In an electric heater, a frame having a back wall and an open front,a concave rectangular sheet metal reflector in the frame facing saidopen front, and mean connecting the central portion of the reflector tosaid back wall, the reflector above and below said means curving forwardand having recessed top and bottom marginal portions curved verticallyaway from each other to provide opposed horizontal channels adapted toreceive the top and bottom edges of a vertical glass heater plate, thereflector being resilient to permit at least one of said curved marginalportions to be sprung away from the other one to allow a heater plate tobe inserted in said channels.

3. In an electric heater, a frame having a back wall and an open front,a concave rectangular sheet metal reflector in the frame facing saidopen front, and means connecting the central portion of the reflector tosaid back wall, the reflecto above and below said means curving forwardand having recessed top and bottom marginal portions curved verticallyaway from each other to provide opposed horizontal channels adapted toreceive the top and bottom edges of a vertical glass heater plate, thereflector being resilient to permit at least one of said curved marginalportion to be sprung away from the other one to allow a heater plate tobe inserted in said channels, and the edge of the reflector along one ofthe channels being inclined forward and away from the other channel toform a lip.

4. In an electric heater, a frame having a back wall and an open front,a concave rectangular sheet metal reflector in the frame facing saidopen front, and means connecting the central portion of the reflector tosaid back wall, the reflector above and below said means curving forwardand having recessed top and bottom marginal portions curved verticallyaway from each other to provide opposed horizontal channels adapted toreceive the top and bottom edges of a vertical glass heater plate, saidmarginal portions being connected to the rest of the reflector byintegral shoulders extending lengthwise thereof, the reflectc-r beingresilient to permit at least one of said curved marginal portions to besprung away from the other one to allow 'a heater plate to be insertedin said channels.

5. In an electric heater, a frame having a back wall and an open front,a concave rectangular sheet metal reflector in the frame facing saidopen front, brackets in the frame secured to said back wall behind thereflector, each bracket having a concave front engaging the centralportion of the back of the reflector, the reflector above and below thebrackets curving forward, and means fastening the reflector to saidbrackets, the top and bottom of the reflector being provided withplate-gripping portions, and the reflector being resilient to permit itto be bent back- .ard to spread said gripping portions apart forreceiving a vertical glass heater plate between them.

6. An electric heater comprising a frame having a back wall and an openfront, a concave rectangular sheet metal reflector in the frame facingsaid open front, means connecting the central portion of the reflectorto said back wall, a reflector above and below said means curvingforward, and a vertical glass heater plate disposed between the top andbottom marginal portions of the reflector in engagement therewith, theupper and lower edges of the plate being curved transversely, saidmarginal portions being curved transversely and extending around theadjoining edges of the plate to hold it in the reflector, the reflectorbeing resilient to permit at least one of said marginal portions to besprung away from the heater plate to release the plate.

7. In an electric heater, a frame having a back wall and an open front,a rectangular sheet metal reflector inside the frame facing said openfront, and means connecting the reflector to the frame, the reflectorhaving recessed top and bottom marginal portions spaced from the top andbottom of the frame and adapted to receive the top and bottom edges ofthe vertical glass heater plate, and the reflector being resilient topermit at least one of said marginal portions to be sprung away from theother marginal portion to permit insertion of a heater plate betweenthem.

In an electric heater, a frame having a back wall and an open front, arectangular sheet metal reflector in the frame facing said open front,and means connecting the reflector to the frame, the reflector havingrecessed top and bottom marginal portions spaced from the top and bottomof the frame and curved vertically away from each other to provideopposed horizontal channels adapted to receive the top and bottom edgesof a vertical glass heater plate, said marginal portions being connectedto the rest of the reflector by integral shoulders extending lengthwisethereof, the reflector being resilient to permit at least one of saidcurved marginal portions to be sprung away from the other one to allow aheater plate to be inserted in said channels, and the edge of thereflector along one of the channels being inclined forward and away fromthe other channel to form a lip.

9. In an electric heater, a concave rectangular sheet metal reflectorhaving a pair of straight parallel marginal portions, and meansconnected with the central portion of the reflector for supporting it,said marginal portions being provided with opposed channel adapted toreceive opposite edges of a glass heater plate to hold the plate infront of the reflector, and the reflector being resilient to permit atleast one of said marginal portions to be sprung away from the othermarginal portion to permit insertion of a heater plate.

Lamb Oct. 23, 1951 Tidd inn. 15, 1952

